State Council of Churches legislative agenda

The newsletter of the New York State Council of Churches highlights its state legislative agenda regarding issues such as the environment, health, housing, and criminal justice reform. Here is a summary of some of those issues. 

The Council supports the Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA), “a landmark environmental justice bill” which will impose a carbon tax on corporate polluters and use the resulting revenues (estimated to reach $15 billion per year) to invest in frontline communities, build sustainable energy infrastructure, and create good, green jobs. 

The CCIA is essential to realizing the vision of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, which put New York State on the leading edge of the fight against catastrophic climate change.

 People of faith can sign a letter urging legislators to pass this legislation. 

The Securing Wages Earned Against Theft (SWEAT) Coalition seeks “to protect workers and honest businesses by stemming wage theft.”

The SWEAT bill would expand lien law so that more workers can establish liens on employers' property. Currently, only workers who suffer wage theft violations can obtain a lien. Bill would allow all employees - not just workers working on projects to improve real property. Bill also would modify standard courts use to determine whether to hold assets during litigation. Some estimate that $1 billion a year is stolen from workers in New York City alone. . . . Bill would establish a "wage lien" so workers can put a hold on employers' property. Measure would also allow workers to "attach" or hold an employer's assets before they run away. 

Two bills deal with parole. The Fair and Timely Parole bill ensures “that the parole board cannot not fixate on the original crime committed at the expense of considering how the person has changed their life so that they don’t recidivate.” The Elder Parole Bill stipulates that people over the age of 55 and having served 15 years could be considered for parole. “Neither bill takes away the discretion of the parole board but it does ask that board to fully consider all the facts and evidence about a person in making their decisions.” 

The New York Health Act will establish a predictable progressive tax on workers and employers that will fund “a comprehensive public health system that will mean every New Yorker, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay, will receive the care they need without paying skyrocketing premiums, deductibles, and copays.”

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